How Do You Deal With Stress?
Author: Dr. Sandra Stubbs & Micah Gae Salian
Frustration and stress frequently go hand in hand. Have you been experiencing any recent stress? Don’t feel alone because stressors are ubiquitous. Everyone experiences stress at some point in their lives. Work, school, relationships, health crisis, political frustrations, financial challenges, unfilled hopes dreams, failure, etc the list can go on and on.
The human body, in fact, is designed to sense and respond to stress.
In response to changes or obstacles, your body generates physical and mental responses (stressors). That is the essence of stress any type of change that causes these physical, emotional, or psychological changes in the brain.
Did You Know?
According to the American Institute of Stress, approximately 33% of people experience extreme stress, 77 percent of people experience stress that affects their physical health, 73 percent of people experience stress that affects their mental health, and 48 percent of people have trouble sleeping as a result of stress.
Unfortunately, for about half of all Americans, stress levels are rising rather than falling. 75 percent of Americans have experienced moderate to high levels of stress in the recent month, according to the Global Organization for Stress. Stress is the #1 health concern among high school students, and 80 percent of people face stress at work. Ethnic minorities, women, single parents, and people who make health-care decisions for their families are among those who experience exceptionally high levels of stress.
Furthermore,
Money, employment, the economy, family responsibilities, relationships, personal health issues, housing costs, job stability, family health problems, personal safety, and other concerns may be constant causes of your stress.
How Do I know When I'm Stressed?
Various signs and symptoms emerge. When you're dealing with stress,
you're likely to feel a variety of negative emotions.
Stress can cause feelings of overload and inability to cope,
as well as the inability to focus,
difficulty making decisions,
pessimism, discouragement, anxiety, and despair.
Withdrawal, isolation, doubt
When dealing with stress, we must consider the physical symptoms in addition to the psychological ones.
Heart palpitations,
headaches,
insomnia,
exhaustion,
muscular tension,
gastrointestinal disorders,
and dermatological issues are among physical indicators of anxiety.
When you start feeling these symptoms, manage your stress immediately.
Stress management can provide a person in a stressful situation with a variety of coping skills and resources.
Treatment that directly targets the source of stress, rather than the stress's side effects, will have the best results.
If someone has heart disease, for example, taking a heart disease medicine will assist, but it will not address the symptom's source: stress. The most effective treatments aim to minimize stress and improve a person's stress reactivity.
Start with taking some steps to deal with stress
Identify your stressors.
Start and Keep a diary in which you document your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in the circumstance that is causing you the greatest stress.
Get enough sleep and exercise.
Generate healthy responses like exercise,
yoga, walking, jogging, cycling, sports, and other forms of physical activity. You can also include doing your hobbies and other favorite activities.
Practice relaxation techniques.
Define your limits. Set your boundaries and stick to them.
Make a guideline for yourself to clear your workloads, which implies you will set aside time to relax.
Work and personal time have a healthy mix. Create objectives and priorities and spend more time with the people you love.
This is the time to think about the changes you'll need to make at work to reduce your stress, and then get started. Some changes can be made on your own, while others will need the help of experts.
Related: Work-Related Stress
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Resources:
Patterson, E. (2021). Stress Facts and Statistics. The Recovery Village. https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/stress/related/stress-statistics/#:~:text=The%20Global%20Organization%20for%20Stress,people%20feel%20stress%20at%20work